Adjustable toothing device

ABSTRACT

A manually adjustable toothing device especially suited for a brick mason&#39;&#39;s use in spacing and supporting freshly mortared brick or block-type masonry members in aligned position during the laying up of a corner wall structure. The toothing device comprises a pair of spacing plates or blocks which are arranged to accommodate variably adjustable spacing movements towards and away from each other by means pivotally interconnecting the spacing plates and providing each with a pivotal axis about which to pivot relative to the other spacing plate, and by manually adjustable biasing means for retaining the spacing plates in selected spaced positions relative to one another.

United States Patent Dankert Oct. 30, 1973 ADJUSTABLE TOOTHING DEVICE Primary Examiner James L. Jones, Jr. [76] Inventor: Walter C. Dankert, 3336 Goddard Amsmm gf'z b Desmond Rd., Toledo, Ohio 43606 N [22] Filed: Sept. 1, 1971 57 ABSTRA T [2]] Appl. No.: 176,853 I 1 C A manually adjustable toothing device especially suited for a brick masons use in spacing and supportgi 269,289 269,43 g g g ing freshly mortared brick or block-type masonry I. g I members in aligned 'position during the aying up of a [58] Field of Search 269/289, 296, 321 S,

7 37 43 108/l44 249/91 93 corner wall structure. The toothing device comprises a pair of spacing plates or blocks which are arranged to accommodate variably adjustable spacing movements [56] References Clted towards and away from each other by means pivotally UNITED STATES PATENTS interconnecting the spacing plates and providing each 2,453,863 11/1948 Salisbury 269/296 X with a pivotal axis about which to pivot relative to the 3,242,549 3/1966 Boeglenw 249/91 X other spacing plate, and by manually adjustable bias- 2,253,573 8/1941 Nave 108/144 ing means for retaining the spacing plates in selected spaced positions relative to one another.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented Oct. 30, 1973 3,768,798

FIG. 4

INVENTOR.

WALTER Q. DmKcre-r @/LZ @Dm (-TITO OQ ADJUSTABLE TOOTHING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In acordance with present-day techniques for the construction of brick or cement block wall structures such as foundation walls, partitions, parapets, fireplaces and the like, it is generally conventional masonry practice to initially lay up corner sections of the wall composed of several courses of mortared and carefully aligned, plumbed and leveled bricks or blocks. This conventional practice of laying up the corners in advance of the intermediate portions of the wall affords the mason references or guides from which to more readily maintain and propagate the desired alignment, levelness and plumbness initially established at the corner sections of the wall.

Moreover, it is necessary and conventional practice to provide good and lasting bonding and tying together of the structural brick or block members in the wall. To accomplish the requisite bonding or tying together of the wall members, the bricks or like structural members are ordinarily laid up, starting with the corner sections, in such fashion that each member laps or spans the vertical mortar joint between adjacent ends of a pair of similar members in the course immediately beneath it, thereby breaking or staggering the vertical joints between members in each course in relation to the vertical joints in the courses immediately above and below the same. Such staggered relationship of the vertical mortar joints is conventionally initiated in the corner sections of a wall by disposing each course in crosswise relationship with the next adjacent course of brick or block forming the corner section. One form of preferred masonry practice of forming such staggered relationship in the corner sections is called toothing and comprises laying up a corner in such manner that each brick or block above the lowermost row or course is disposed cross-wise of the brick or block above and below it and has a portion thereof projecting in cantilevered manner beyond and overhanging the block or brick upon which it is placed or positioned in the corner section. The resulting corner section thus defines a vertically serrated or toothed configuration.

The toothed corner section, following setting of the mortar, then serves as a guide from which to lineally extend the several courses of bricks or blocks along the desired foundation wall in horizontally aligned, plumb and level rows, while maintaining continuity in the thickness of the mortar joints between each course or row.

In the conventional practice of laying up a toothed corner by staggering each row of bricks or blocks in the corner section in overhanging cross-wise relationship, it is necessary to support the overhanging portion of each brick or block to maintain the desired vertical spacing until such time as the mortar hardens sufficiently to prevent shifting, sagging or pivoting of the bricks or blocks.

Heretofore, the manner of providing support to the overhanging portions of the freshly mortared bricks or blocks in a toothed corner section has customarily been accomplished by inserting mortared half-sections of brick or block in the spaces or notches between alternate courses of the brick or block. In the event that broken pieces or sections of used or discarded bricks or blocks of the right size or dimension are not readily available at the construction site, full bricks or blocks are generally broken to accommodate the need for such spacers. Obviously, the requisite search for broken pieces of brick, blocks and like of suitable size to serve as spacers or the alternative fashioning of such spacers from available construction site materials is both time consuming, wasteful and inefficient.

More particularly, each half-brick or half-block spacer must be shimmed since the spacing between each overhanging course is equivalent to the combined thickness of the intermediate course of brick or block separating the overhanging courses and the additional thickness of the mortar joint both above and below the intermediate course. Such shimming of the spacer is customarily done by applying mortar to one or both ends of the spacer and then inserting the mortared spacer into position. This is then followed by further plumbing, leveling and aligning of the toothed members. Hence, proper toothing or fitting of pieces of masonry, br;ck or the like to serve as spacers in the notches or spaces between overhanging members in the corner section, is a time consuming and costly labor factor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the toothing device, or toothing block, of the present invention is designed and constructed in such manner as to provide an economical and easy to operate device of relatively small size for use by masons during the erection of laying up of a toothed corner section of a brick or block masonry wall. As each brick or block in a course subsequent to the starting course is placed in position upon and separated by fresh unhardened mortar from a brick or block in the course immediately therebeneath, and at the same time is positioned so that one end of the brick projects beyond the underlying brick in cantilevered fashion to provide a staggered vertical mortar joint, the toothing device of the present invention is inserted between the overhanging ends to furnish support thereto. In accomplishing such purposes, the toothing device or spacing device of the present invention is comprised of a pair of spacing plates adjustably interconnected by means furnishing each of the spacing plates with a pivotal axis accommodating variable accordian-like interspacing movements of the spacing plates. Adjustable biasing means are also provided for regulating the freedom of adjustable movement of the spacing plates so as to permit manual positioning of the spacing between the spacing plates while at the same time affording sufficient resistance to movement to prevent displacement or collapse of the toothing device under the gravitational weight of the overhanging portion of the brick or block which is being supported thereby. In similar manner, the toothing device may be readily removed from between the bricks or blocks after the mortar joint has hardened by simply manually urging the spacing plates towards each other.

Keeping the foregoing in mind, it is an objective of the present invention to provide means for obviating the time consuming efiorts commonly encountered by masons in laying up a toothed corner during the construction of a brick or block masonry wall.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a masons toothing device which will provide more accurate alignment of the structural members in a brick or block wall.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a toothing device of highly economical design and characterized by having a simple, easy to use construction for toothing interspaced courses of freshly mortared bricks or blocks.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a small, light weight device having the foregoing characteristics and which is capable of being quickly erected, adjusted and collapsed while positioned within the space between vertically interspaced alternate courses or rows of brick.

A more specific objective of the present invention is the provision of a toothing block for use by a mason in laying up a toothed corner section of a brick or block wall, and comprising a pair of bearing blocks adjustably interconnected for manually adjustable separable movements between variable erected positions and collapsed positions, whereby said toothing block will maintain interspaced alternate courses of freshly mortared bricks in desired alignment and toothed relationship pending self-sustaining alignment thereof resulting from hardening of the mortar joints between the bricks or blocks.

Other and additional objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art from the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheet of drawings whereon a preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a freshly mortared and laid up toothed corner section of a brick building wall utilizing a plurality of toothing devices constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but depicting the toothed corner section of the building wall after the mortar joints have set and the toothing devices have been removed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective side elevational view of the toothing device in an erected position such as the operative supporting position shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is another perspective side elevational view of the toothing device similar to FIG. 3, but for functional comparative purposes depicting the device in an alternative collapsed position.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the toothing device in the operative position indicated in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a laidup, freshly mortared, corner face tier at the commencement of the construction of a brick building wall. The corner construction is of the type commonly referred to as a toothed corner construction and permits several courses of brick to be laid-up without necessitating the time consuming prior art practice of tailing out a lead and racking the bricks in the wall as the corner is built up. In constructing such a toothed corner section the corner brick in each successive course is disposed crosswise of the corner brick immediately therebeneath. Thus, as illustrated the corner brick 11 forming the corner of the first course of brick is disposed crosswise of the corner brick 12 forming the corner of the second course. Similarly the corner brick 13 in the third course is disposed crosswise to the corner brick 12 in the second course and the corner brick 14 in the fourth course. Similarly, the corner bricks l5, l6 and 17 in the ensuing fifth, sixth and seventh courses, as well as succeeding courses, are laid up in alternated crosswise relationship. Thus a so-called toothed corner is produced having a vertically disposed generally dentiform configuration in which gaps or spacings are defined between the overhanging portions of the corner bricks in alternate courses of the corner such as, for example, between corner bricks 11 and 13 and corner bricks 12 and 14. Thus, the vertical spacing between alternate courses of brick, such as between bricks l3 and 15, for example, corresponds to the combined thickness of the intermediate brick, such as brick l4, and the thickness of horizontal mortar joints l8 and 19 above and beneath the intermediate brick. Moreover, the spacing will vary according to variations in thickness of the intermediate bricks as well as with variations in the thickness of the horizontal mortar joints.

In accordance with the present invention, means in a the form of toothing devices or toothing blocks 20 are provided for supporting and maintaining precise positioning and alignment of the bricks in the toothed corner section as the freshly mortared bricks are successively laid up. The toothing blocks are capable of being quickly spread apart into an erected position and inserted into the spaces between the bricks so as to bear against and support the overhanging portions of the bricks. After the mortar joints have hardened or set sufficiently to maintain the alignment and positioning of the bricks, the toothing blocks 20 may be manually collapsed and removed for subsequent reuse. The completed, precisely plumbed, leveled and alignd corner section with the toothing blocks removed, as in FIG. 2, may then be employed in conventional manner as a reference or guide from which to propagate each course and maintain proper alignment during the laying up of the continuation of the wall section.

The structure and function of the toothing blocks are best shown in FIGS. 3-5, wherein one such representative toothing block is illustrated. As illustrated, the toothing block 20 includes a pair of spacing plates 21 and 22 A U-shaped pivot arm serves as interconnecting means 23 and provides each of the spacing plates with a transverse pivotal axis, such as at 24 and 25, about which to pivot the other spacing plate during manually adjustable erectible and collapsible movements of the spacing plates towards and away from each other in the manner exemplified by comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4.

Spacing plates 21 and 22 are preferably of rectangular configuration and each is provided with a planar outwardly facing bearing surface 26 and 27 adapted to bear against the overhanging mutually facing surface portions of the toothed bricks in a toothed corner wall section such as depicted in FIG. 1. The spacing plates 21 and 22 may be fabricated from wood, plastic, metal or most any suitable material and the material or materials of fabrication are not limitations of this invention.

Interconnecting means 23 includes a generally U- shaped arm 29 provided with bent end portions 30 and 31, respctively received within journal openings 32 and 33 provided in the sides of and extending transversely through the spacing plates 21 and 22. The bent end portions 30 and 31, respectively, provide a pivotal axis about which to accommodate individual pivotal movements of the spacing plates. Intermediate the bent end portions 30 and 31 of the U-shaped arm 29 there is an interconnecting bight portion 3d which is of a length sufficient to permit the bent end portions to pivot the outwardly facing surfaces 26 and 27 of the spacing plates an adequate distance apart to at least correspond to the toothing spaces desired in the corner section of the wall.

Means for adjusting the freedom of pivotal movement of the spacing plates 21 and 22 are provided and may be adjusted to impart the desired restriction against accidental collapse of the spacing plates when positioned in the toothed spacings in the corner section. Such adjustment means are provided by means of threading the bent end portions 30 and 31 of the arm 29 and by adjustment nuts 35 which are threaded thereon on opposite sides of each spacing plate. Thus, by tightening or loosening the adjustment nuts on the bent end portions with respect to the sides of the spacing plates the freedom of pivotal movement of the spacing plates may be adjusted to the desired extent.

In manner of use, the toothing blocks are placed in the toothing openings in the corner section wall at the time the freshly mortared bricks are placed in position and aligned, plumbed and leveled. The spacing plates 21 and 22 are then spaced apart by manually pulling or pushing the plates apart and causing each to pivot about its respective pivotal axis until the desired spacing is achieved and the outwardly facing surfaces 26 and 27 bear firmly against the mutually facing overhanging surfaces of the bricks defining the toothing spaces. After the mortared surfaces of the laid up bricks or blocks, as the case may be, have hardened, light manual pressure may be applied against the spacing plates to force them towards each other and permit their removal from the toothed wall section.

As a result, the masonry work may rapidly proceed without necessitating the time consuming previous practice of knocking out and removing a half-brick or half-block spacer and mortar from the toothing spacing. Moreover, the present invention eliminates the customary necessity of cleaning out adherent residual mortar remaining in the toothing space after removal of such conventional half-brick or half-block spacers.

Thus, as will be understood from the foregoing description and the drawings, the toothing device of the hereinafter claimed invention combines, among others, such advantageous and beneficial features as simplicity of structural design, minimal moving parts, light weight, economical construction cost and easy manual manipulation.

I claim:

1. A manually adjustable toothing device for a masons use in laying up and maintaining the spacing between freshly mortared rows of bricks or blocks in alternate rows of a brick or block wall structure and comprising a pair of spacing plates each provided with mutually facing inwardly disposed surfaces and oppositely disposed outwardly facing planar bearing surfaces adapted to bear against and maintain the desired spacing between freshly mortared, mutually facing bricks or blocks in alternate rows of a brick or block wall structure,

means interconnecting said spacing plates and providing each with an individual pivotal axis disposed in spaced parallel relationship with the pivotal axis of the other spacing plate and in parallel relationship with the plane of said bearing surface and about which to pivotally move one of said spacing plates towards or away from the other,

means for adjustably restricting the freedom of pivotal movement of at least one of said spacing plates relative to the other whereby to adjustably control the freedom of movement of said spacing plates relative to each other and while maintaining the spacing between freshly mortared alternate rows of brick or block.

2. A toothing device as defined in claim 1, wherein said interconnecting means includes an arm having opposite end portions extending transversely of said spacing plates and in parallel relationship with the bearing surfaces thereof.

3. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said arm is generally U-shaped and includes an intermediate bight portion and bent end portions disposed normally from said bight portion and forming said opposite end portions.

4. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said opposite end portions of said arm are received within journal openings provided in and extending transversely through said spacing plates intermediate said inwardly and outwardly facing surfaces.

5. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for adjustably restricting the pivotal movement of at least one of said spacing plates, cooperates with one of said opposite end portions of said arm to adjustably control the relative freedom of movement between one of said opposite end portions and the spacing plate which it extends transversely of.

6. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for adjustably restricting the pivotal movement of at least one of said spacing plates is carried by one of said opposite end portions and frictionally controls the relative freedom of movement between one of said opposite end portions and the spacing plate which it extends transversely of.

7. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein at least one each of said opposite end portions of said arm includes threadable means of attachment thereto for said biasing means, and wherein said biasing means threadably cooperates with said opposite end portion to adjustably control the freedom of movement of said spacing plates towards and away from each another.

8. A manually adjustable toothing device for a masons use in laying up and maintaining the spacing between freshly mortared rows of bricks or blocks in alternate rows of a brick or block wall structure and comprising a pair of spacing plates each provided with mutually facing inwardly disposed surfaces and oppositely disposed outwardly facing planar bearing surfaces adapted to bear against and maintain the desired spacing between freshly mortared, mutually facing bricks or blocks in alternate rows of a brick or block wall structure,

a generally U-shaped arm interconnecting said spacing plates and having opposite end portions extending transversly of said spacing plates and in parallel relationship with the bearing surfaces thereof and providing each with a pivotal axis disposed in parallel relationship with the plane of said bearing surface and about which to pivotally move one of said spacing plates towards or away from the other,

means for adjustably restricting the freedom of pivotal movement of at least one of said spacing plates relative to the other whereby to adjustably control the freedom of movement of said spacing plates relative to each other and while maintaining the spacing between freshly mortared alternate rows of brick or block.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 798 Dated October 30, 1973 Inventor) Walter C Dankert It is certified that error appears in'the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 2, line 30, change "of to --or--. Col. 4, line 32, change "alignd" to -aligned-. Col. 6, line 42, change "another" to other--.

Signed and sealed this Irish day of June 19714..

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCI-IER,JR. c. MARSHALL mum Attesting fficer Commissioner of Patents PC4050 (w'ss) uscoMM-oc 00876-P69 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1 II. -S-J$, 

1. A manually adjustable toothing device for a mason''s use in laying up and maintaining the spacing between freshly mortared rows of bricks or blocks in alternate rows of a brick or block wall structure and comprising a pair of spacing plates each provided with mutually facing inwardly disposed surfaces and oppositely disposed outwardly facing planar bearing surfaces adapted to bear against and maintain the desired spacing between freshly mortared, mutually facing bricks or blocks in alternate rows of a brick or block wall structure, means interconnecting said spacing plates and providing each with an individual pivotal axis disposed in spaced parallel relationship with the pivotal axis of the other spacing plate and in parallel relationship with the plane of said bearing surface and about which to pivotally move one of said spacing plates towards or away from the other, means for adjustably restricting the freedom of pivotal movement of at least one of said spacing plates relative to the other whereby to adjustably control the freedom of movement of said spacing plates relative to each other and while maintaining the spacing between freshly mortared alternate rows of brick or block.
 2. A toothing device as defined in claim 1, wherein said interconnecting means includes an arm having opposite end portions extending transversely of said spacing plates and in parallel relationship with the bearing surfaces thereof.
 3. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said arm is generally U-shaped and includes an intermediate bight portion and bent end portions disposed normally from said bight portion and forming said opposite end portions.
 4. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said opposite end portions of said arm are received within journal openings provided in and extending transversely through said spacing plates intermediate said inwardly and outwardly facing surfaces.
 5. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for adjustably restricting the pivotal movement of at least one of said spacing plates, cooperates with one of said opposite end portions of said arm to adjustably control the relative freedom of movement between one of said opposite end portions and the spacing plate which it extends transversely of.
 6. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for adjustably restricting the pivotal movement of at least one of said spacing plates is carried by one of said opposite end portions and frictionally controls the relative freedom of movement between one of said opposite end portions and the spacing plate which it extends transversely of.
 7. A toothing device as defined in claim 2, wherein at least one each of said opposite end portions of said arm includes threadable means of attachment thereto for said biasing means, and wherein said biasing means threadably cooperates with said opposite end portion to adjustably control the freedom of movement of said spacing plates towards and away from each other.
 8. A manually adjustable toothing device for a mason''s use in laying up and maintaining the spacing between freshly mortared rows of bricks or blocks in alternate rows of a brick or block wall structure and comprising a pair of spacing plates each provided with mutually facing inwardly disposed surfaces and oppositely disposed outwardly facing planar bearing surfaces adapted to bear against and maintain the desired spacing between freshly mortared, mutually facing bricks or blocks in alternate rows of a brick or block wall structure, a generally U-shaped arm interconnecting said spacing plates and having opposite end portions extending transversly of said spacing plates and in parallel relationship with the bearing surfaces thereof and providing each with a pivotal axis disposed in parallel relationship with the plane of said bearing surface and about which to pivotally move one of said spacing plates towards or away from the other, means for adjustably restricting the freedom of pivotal movement of at least one of said spacing plates relative to the other whereby to adjustably control the freedom of movement of said spacing plates relative to each other and while maintaining the spacing between freshly mortared alternate rows of brick or block. 